Farming Miracles
by xxosnapitsakarixx
Summary: Jill and Claire were two hard working farmers, aiming to be their best. Their friendship was a bond that could not be broken. Everyday they would get even closer than they originally were. But how close would they eventually get? Jill x Claire.
1. Chapter 1

"Jill! Jill!" I called out to her. I had exciting news for her.

But first I should tell you. My name is Claire. I'm a farmer, or rancher I suppose you can say in Mineral Town. I've been in this small town for quite some time now, and it's the most life changing experience I've ever had. I first moved here having no idea how to handle living on a farm. Although my father was a farmer, I had never even thought about living my life as a rancher. It's turned out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Especially since I have Jill by my side. Jill was already a farmer when I had arrived, which made it much easier for me to get used to the work. She's been a real help. Recently I had sent out a farming workshop to the city, to let young children, or even adults to experience what farming is like, and come out here. Then that's what I just had to tell Jill.

I held the envelope from the city, responding to the request. I ran over to Jill, showing her the envelope.

"It's here! I got a letter back from the city regarding what I sent in!" I exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

"Hey now, calm down. Don't get your hopes up, it could be a decline. But I'm excited too so open it up!" Jill said, putting her hand on the envelope.

"Well? Open it with me!" I put my finger in the corner of the envelope, dying to tear it open as Jill shook her head with a smile, putting her finger on the other side of the envelope. We both teared it open at the same time, with big smiles on our faces. I unfolded the paper, reading faster than I ever thought I could.

"Yes! They're bringing a big group who are interested! Isn't this great?" I hugged Jill tightly, as I spoke still holding onto her.

"It is! This should be a lot of fun, teaching people how to farm together." Jill said, escaping from my hug.

"We make a great team Jill. I'm so happy you're here with me! If I had just came here without knowing what I was even doing, I think I'd be screwed." I began giggling, as she joined in as well.

"It was lonely working on a farm all by myself. I'm glad I have you too Claire!" This time Jill hugged me.

I sat underneath the tree in the yard beside the crop field. The shade felt nice in such hot weather. I leaned back, closing my eyes until I felt something land on my lap. I jumped a little, opening my eyes to see a empty watering can.

"It's not very nice to throw watering cans at people you know!" I said, picking up the watering can.

"Haha, you don't think you're going to rest and let me do all the work do you? The plants are going to die, especially in this hot weather! Fill it up and get to work woman." She winked and smiled at me, turning back to watering.

"Fine, sheesh. So bossy." I murmured.

I walked over to fill up the watering can, feeling like I was carrying an anchor, it was so heavy. I managed to make my way over to the crops to water them, spilling too much over one plant. Jill looked over at me laughing, shaking her head. She walked over to me, placing her hand on my arm guiding my hand to water.

"Here. You're spilling too much in one area. Move it around like this." My arm began to move in circles, as I walked over to the next area as Jill guided me.

"This is why I hate watering. Can I take a break please? We've been working all day." I begged.

"Yeah, I'm getting tired too. Want to go over to the Inn and grab some coffee?" Jill suggested.

I nodded my head, as we headed over to the Inn, I checked my watch to see the time. It was already 6pm. I never knew how long we worked for, but it seemed we worked way to hard today. We entered the Inn, being greeted by Ann, giving us a warm smile.

"Coffee as usual I'm assuming?" Ann said running over to the counter, with two cups beside the carafe.

"You got it!" Jill said sitting down at a table. She motioned me to sit beside her, which I did.

Ann brought over our coffee cups, with a cup of cream and a bowl of sugar. Just as I was about to grab the cream, Jill swiped her hand over, and smiled at me.

"Beat ya!" She said, smiling at me.

"Ugh! You always do that! Someday I'm going to beat you!" I argued with her.

"Calm down Claire. Here!" She grabbed my coffee cup, pouring the cream, and scooping sugar into my cup. She was fixing up my coffee for me.

"You know exactly how much I take?" I asked curiously.

"I watch you make your coffee in the morning. I memorized it by watching!" She said, pushing my cup towards me.

"Why do you watch me pour my coffee? That's like saying you watch me get dressed, and memorize each outfit I wear everyday." I joked.

"Haha you guys are too funny! Enjoy your coffee girls!" Ann said waving to us before going back to work.

"I just can't stop thinking about that workshop. It's going to be so fun." Jill said.

"Me too! It's going to be so cool showing people what we do everyday without getting tired of it." I responded, grabbing Jill's hand excitingly.

"Wow, you really are excited! You only take my hand when you're excited or scared." Jill said, giving me a warm smile.

"I guess so yeah! But I guess I'm a little scared to do something wrong, and make a fool out of myself. If you really knew me, you'd know I'm clumsy as anything."

Jill laughed at my words, taking her other hand off her coffee cup, and placing it on top of mine. It was warm from the coffee.

"You'll be fine. If you think like that, you will just get even more worked up. Just relax!" Her tone was soft, as I could tell she was trying to comfort me. That's why I loved having Jill as my friend.

"You're right. I shouldn't think negative. I should just do my best! Also Jill, I can say the same to you. Don't get worked up too much."

"Thanks for the concern, but I'm sure I'll be fine! Anyway, should we be heading back?" Jill said, finishing her last sip of her coffee.

"Yeah. Thanks Ann!" I said waving goodbye to her.

"Goodnight guys! See you tomorrow hopefully!" She waved back, giving another warm smile.

It was slightly darker than when we arrived, as the sun was beginning to set. It was quiet at this time which is what I liked so much about this town. That, and it was full of nice people. Like Jill. When we finally arrived at the farm, we walked into the house, going over to our beds. I was just across from Jill, so it wasn't like she was in a different room than me. The house wasn't that big.

"I think I'm going to turn in early tonight Claire. I was up early today." Jill said, grabbing her pyjamas from the drawer, and walking into the bathroom to change.

"Yeah, me too. Although I wasn't up as nearly as early as you were, I'll be refreshed for tomorrow morning." I said.

I quickly grabbed my pyjamas, changing quickly before Jill came out. I got comfortable tucking myself into bed, feeling my eyes get heavy as I turned off my lamp. Jill came out in her cotton pyjamas, throwing herself into bed, until the whole room was dark, except for slight hint of sun peeking out of the curtains.

Tomorrow would be the start of me working harder.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up earlier than Jill, which was weird because I always woke up straight after she did. It was already 7am, which to some people would be way too early to even get out of bed. But I guess that's the farming lifestyle. I looked over confused at Jill, who was sound asleep. I smiled, as I dressed myself, and stepping outside.

It was a beautiful morning as I opened the door, the sky appearing a light shade of orange, and a warm air that slid across my skin. I loved the weather in this town. Although I was not ready for the warm weather in 2 months. Instead of focusing on the weather, I grabbed the watering can, filled it up, and began watering each crop. I followed what Jill had said on how to move my arm when I watered the crops, and it worked much better than how I used to do it. I grabbed a bag of strawberry seeds from my pocket, as I tilled a few spots, planting the seeds into the soil. I loved how the soil felt on my bare hands. It was soft and warm. I wiped some sweat off my forehead with my arm as the time flew by as I continued to work as hard as I could.

By the time I had finished the chores, the clock had hit 9am. I looked over at the house, wondering what Jill was doing. I sat up from sitting under the tree and headed over to the house. I looked over at her bed, as I saw her still sleeping. She must of been really exhausted lately, and overworked herself on some days. She may as well deserve a day to sleep in. I thought I would cook up some breakfast for ourselves. I headed over to the kitchen, and opened up the fridge to grab some eggs. I pulled out a frying pan from the lower cabinet under the stove, and turned on the element. I cracked each egg to fit onto the frying pan, and began cooking. I felt I was a pretty decent cooker, although Jill was a much better cook than I was. Now that I think of it, there's a lot of things Jill is good at.

I finished cooking breakfast, as I heard a loud moan come from the living room. Jill was finally waking up, as she let out a long stretch. She opened her eyes slowly, looking over at me in the kitchen.

"Hmm...What time is it?" She said in a morning voice. It was funny, yet cute.

"9:15. You slept in you lazy butt." I said jokingly, giving her a warm smile.

"A-Are you serious? Ugh there's so much work to do! First I need to-" She spoke, until I interrupted her.

"Jill, relax! I finished most of the stuff already. I watered the crops, and planted some strawberry seeds. "

"Really? Gee, thanks. It's all my fault for sleeping in, it's just I was so tired I couldn't even think about getting up early." She said in a sad tone.

"Stop worrying about it. It's alright! I made us some breakfast. Come on, and eat." I said, placing her plate and cutlery on the table.

She walked over to sit in the kitchen chair, still looking tired, but not as bad as she looked yesterday. I never understood how she could still look good even when she just woke up. I wish I was like that. But some people are born with that gift I suppose. She rested her head in her hand, using her fork in her other hand.

"I was thinking...Why don't we just take a day off from working today? Just hang out." She spoke up.

"I was thinking the same thing! It'd be great not to wear these overalls every time. I want to dress cute sometimes you know?" I exclaimed, giving a little giggle.

"The overalls are cute! I work in raggy old jeans, so don't complain." She laughed.

"Yeah but you look good in them! You look good in anything you wear." I said, sighing.

"So do you. I hate when you put yourself down because you're beautiful Claire. Plus, it hurts seeing your best friend put themselves down on a regular basis." She said looking irritated.

"T-Thanks...It feels good when you compliment me Jill. I love being your friend. I didn't have one friend like you back in the city." I said, finishing up eating.

She got up, putting her dish in the sink. I turned on the hot water to do dishes, but she stopped me by putting her hand over the knob.

"We can do them when we come back. Lets get dressed and head out." She said.

I nodded, as I dug through my drawer, and pulled out a blue checkered sundress. I took off my overalls and plaid shirt, and slipped on the dress above my head. I threw on a pair of black flats, looking at myself in the mirror above my dresser. I smiled to myself, observing how I actually looked. Maybe Jill was right. I put myself down too much. There's a lot of things I need to change.

Jill came out of the washroom, wearing an orange plaid shirt, with blue denim shorts. She was wearing regular sneakers, and wore her hair in a ponytail.

"Shall we go now?" She said, opening the door, waiting for me.

"Yeah!"

We walked out together, as I locked the door behind us. We headed off into the town, receiving smiles from each person we passed by. So many people were friendly here. Another thing I loved about this town.

"Want to go into the supermarket just to browse?" Jill asked.

"Sure! But...Isn't it rude to go in and not buy a single thing?" I asked.

"Not really. It just means you can't afford anything at that minute, or you just can't make up your mind." She said, linking arms with me.

We headed off to the supermarket, and opened the door, hearing a bell ring from above it. We were greeted by Karen, who was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine.

"Hey guys. What brings you here?"

"Hey Karen! Just browsing a bit that's all." I said, waving to her.

Jill walked around with me, as she seemed bored. I tugged on her shirt, as she turned to me with a smile.

"Can we look somewhere else? I can tell you seem bored." I said.

"Yeah. Nothings catching my attention in here. Why don't we head over to the beach?" She suggested.

I nodded my head excitingly, as we said goodbye to Karen, and walked over to the beach.

When we got there, the water was hitting against the sand, hearing the sounds of the waves in the distance. We sat down, as we watched the water.

"This is so nice. I forgot how much I loved this beach!" I said to her.

"Me too! I love how warm the sand is against your legs. I'm going to miss this when winter comes. But I like the snow too, so it's hard to tell which I like better." She said.

"We should go swimming!" I said, standing up.

"But we don't have our swimsuits." Jill said.

"Who cares? We can go swimming in our clothes, and they will eventually dry when we get out. Come on, it's fun!" I exclaimed, going knee deep into the water. Half of my dress was already wet.

She rolled her eyes while laughing, as she ran into the water, as her entire shorts and shirt got wet. We began laughing, splashing each other with water. I dunked her head into the water, as she had an angry look on her face.

"You're gonna pay for that Claire!" Jill said, picking me up, and throwing me farther into the water.

The sound of the water surrounded my ears, until I popped up from the water, laughing.

"Lets jump off the dock together!" I pointed over at the dock.

We both ran over, as I grabbed for her hand as we stood on the edge.

"Ready?" I said.

"One...Two...Three!" Jill screamed, as we both jumped in the water at the same time.

We made a huge splash, and began laughing from the excitement of it. I loved hanging out with Jill. It was the only time we didn't have to worry about work, and just focus on having fun.

"I'm so glad you suggested that. It was so much fun!" Jill said laughing, as we walked out of the water dripping wet.

"I have great ideas, believe it or not! We need to do that again someday."

"Obviously!"

We threw ourselves onto the sand, laying on our backs, and looking up at the blue sky, as the clouds moved ever so slightly.

"This was probably one of the most funnest days I've had in a while. All I focus on is work these days. It gets so stressful. But today it was like all my stress went away. I loved it." Jill said, looking straight up at the sky.

"You just need to learn to put work aside sometimes and just have fun. It doesn't hurt if you miss one or two days of work, as long as you find time to get it done. It doesn't always have to be right away you know." I responded.

She looked over at me from the side, giving me a warm smile. I smiled back at her, as she closed her eyes for a minute, but still talking.

"You're right. How about from now on, we make time for each other more, and do work when it's most important?" She suggested.

"You know what? I really like that idea." I said, closing my eyes as well.

We sat there for a while, not saying a word to each other for the longest moment, although we knew what each other was thinking. That we both were right, and we had a friendship that could never be broken.

I was so happy to be with Jill today.


	3. Chapter 3

Jill and I spent the entire day together, and came back into the house, laughing and smiling together. Our clothes still hadn't dried, but it was the last thing on my mind right now. I walked over to the fireplace in the middle of the living room, and turned it on to warm up.

"It's too bad this day is almost over. Now do you see how much fun you can have when you're not focusing on work?" I said, sitting on the sofa next to her. I wrapped the blanket around us.

"Yeah! You make me realize a lot of things Claire. I have a lot of things to thank you for." Her tone of voice was warm, as she grinned at me.

"You have nothing to thank me for. You've done more for me than I could ever imagine Jill." I hugged her tightly, as she hugged me back.

We continued having a deep conversation, and enjoying each others company. I felt so comfortable with Jill, and I never worried about anything when I was with her. I'm so glad we have so much time to create new memories together. It's never a dull moment.

"Shouldn't we change into our pyjamas? We're still pretty soaked, and the fire isn't helping much." I suggested.

"I was just thinking the same thing! You can change here. I'll go into the washroom." Jill said, walking over to grab her pyjamas.

I nodded, as I watched her walk into the washroom, shutting the door behind her. I smiled to myself, as I slipped off my wet dress, and took off my bra, and threw it into the laundry basket. I put on my cotton pyjamas, feeling cozy and warm, as the wet feeling was no longer taking over my body. I let out a long sigh, and threw myself onto the bed looking up at the ceiling. I leaned over to my phone on the dresser, as I saw a text from my Mom. I suddenly felt some anxiety take over me for an unknown reason. I always got that feeling when my mom texted me. I always had the hunch that something was wrong. Until I read the text, and began laughing at myself for worrying.

"_How is work? Hope you're having fun. Any boys?"_

I laughed at the message, and rolled my eyes, shaking my head at the same time. I messaged back saying:

"_It's great, I'm working with my friend Jill. I don't need boys." _

Jill came out of the bathroom, wearing a purple nightgown and cow slippers. I looked down and began giggling. She shook her head laughing as she realized what I had been laughing at.

"My parents got them for me okay? I couldn't just refuse them and make them get upset." She sounded embarrassed, as she slipped them off, and tucked herself into bed.

"No, don't be embarrassed! They're so cute!" I laughed as I spoke, trying to comfort her.

We looked at each other laughing, as we shut off the lights next to our beds. It was now completely dark, as all I heard was the sound of Jill's breath, and the sound of the trees moving in the wind from outside.

"Let's talk for a bit. I don't want to sleep just yet." Jill said.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Did you know Doctor Trent and Elli are dating? Ann told me last week." Jill told me.

"Really? I can't say I didn't see that coming, but I'm happy for them. A lot of people are starting to date now lately, have you noticed?"

"Yeah I noticed that as well. It's kind of a nice thing when you think about it. Having the person you like have the same feelings for you." She said in a hush tone.

"Have you ever liked anyone Jill?" I asked.

She laughed at my question, and answered.

"Yeah. Although I never told anyone who I liked, because no one would understand, or just go and tell that person. Obviously I didn't want that. Until my parents eventually found out."

"How did they find out? Did you start dating the person?" I asked curiously.

"No. They looked through my phone while I was in school, and saw the messages I had with that person. They confronted me about it, and I didn't know how to tell them. They didn't approve of me liking them. They always questioned me about it, and told me liking them was wrong." Jill's tone sounded upset.

"But why didn't they approve? They should support you for who you like." She giggled again, after I said this, then sighed.

"I'm getting tired. Let's go to bed okay?"

"O-Okay...But Jill?" I said.

"Hmm?"

"I'll always be there to support you no matter what. You can always rely on me."

"Claire..."

"That's all I wanted to say, so now we can go to bed. Night!" I said happily, as we both slowly drifted off to sleep, as I could tell we felt even more comfortable with each other than we did a few hours ago.

.~ ~ ~

I woke up the next morning, rubbing my eyes with my fists. I let out a long yawn, and streched. I looked over at Jill's bed, which was made, so I figured she was out working already. I looked over at my calendar and realized the farming workshop was in two days. I felt excitement take over my whole body, as I raced over to the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. The aroma of the coffee took over my cup, as I smelled the scent of vanilla. I felt warm inside as I took a sip. I smiled thinking of my conversation with Jill last night, as I remembered how happy she sounded when I told her she could rely on me. I wish I could of seen her smile.

I finished my cup of coffee, and threw on my usual outfit. I threw my hair up in a high ponytail, pulling two layers of hair to the side of my face to hang loose. I slipped on my black sneakers, and headed outside to begin working. It wasn't as warm as it was yesterday, as the wind felt more stronger. I really hoped the weather was going to be okay in two days for the workshop. I closed the house door behind me, as Jill turned around to face me. She smiled, and waved at me.

"Morning! How did you sleep?" She asked, as she continued working, patting on the soil.

"Like a baby! What about you?" I walked over to her, grabbing a pair of gloves beside the tools.

"Great, thanks! We should talk at night more often. I feel it helps me sleep better knowing I had a good conversation with you, and just letting everything out." Jill said, smiling at me, patting me on the shoulder.

"Then it's a deal! I noticed we both slept in today. I looked at the clock and it was already 10am. I told you not worrying about work first thing helps!" I said proudly, as I began to harvest the strawberries.

Jill watched me harvest the strawberries, and grabbed one off the vine. She put it towards my mouth, telling me to try it.

"You try it first. You planted them after all!" She moved the strawberries closer to my mouth.

I took a little bite out of the strawberry feeling a sweet sensation in my mouth. I closed my eyes, and smiled, focusing on the taste.

"These are better than the ones I planted last summer. Quality is best!" I exclaimed.

"That's because you bought them from a cheap place. You're right about the quality. Good job!" She patted me on the back, and gave me a hug.

"Hey Jill...You never answered my question last night." I realized.

"What question? About my parents?" She looked confused.

"Kind of. I asked why they didn't approve who you liked. What's so bad about liking someone? Did they not want you liking someone at that age?" I questioned her. She avoided my eye contact for a minute.

"They just didn't approve of the person I liked, that's all. Not a big deal!" She then looked at me, then smiled. Although I could tell it was a fake smile.

"Were they a bad person?" I asked.

"No, they were great. One of the nicest people I have ever met. But they just didn't like them. Enough about my love life. What about you?" She said, changing the subject. Why didn't she want to talk about it?

"My love life is non existent! I haven't had any crushes at all. Honestly." I told her.

"Seriously? No crushes at all?" She looked shocked. I shook my head no.

"It doesn't bother me though! It takes time to develop feelings for someone fully you know? I don't mind waiting for that moment." I smiled at her, and began working.

I could still feel her gaze on me, seeing the corner of her mouth rise. She shook her head playfully, and began working beside me.

We began working, until I remembered the dirty dishes from yesterday. I jumped up, as Jill looked at me confused.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Just going to do the dishes. I'll be back!" I gave her a thumbs up, as she nodded.

I ran into the house, and turned on the hot water in the sink. I squeezed some dish soap into the running water, watching the soap form into the water. I grabbed a dish cloth, and began washing the plates and cutlery. As I began scrubbing, I heard Jill's ringtone go off. I dried off my hands, and raced over to the living room, where her bed was. I hesitated as I watched the phone ring. I didn't know whether to answer the phone or not, until I quickly picked up the phone and answered it.

"Jill residence. Who is this?" I asked.

"Can I speak to Jill please? I have a question for her." A woman's voice said.

"She's working right now. Can I take a message?"

"Tell her it's Jenny. Then she'll definitely call me back. Bye." She hung up as I heard a click.

Who was Jenny? Was it a friend from back home? Before finishing dishes, I ran outside to tell Jill about her call. I ran up to Jill, who smiled at me.

"You're back! That was fast."

"Um, someone called you on your cell phone, so I picked it up for you." I twiddled my thumbs, as I looked nervous.

"Oh, that's fine. Who was it?" She asked.

"Someone named Jenny?"

Her smile faded away from her face, looking serious. Her eyes opened widely, as she looked at me, then straight ahead. She had a mad, yet disappointed look on her face, as she stormed into the house.

What was that about? I stared at the house, feeling concerned. It sure was serious because I've never seen that look on her face...ever.


	4. Chapter 4

I desperately wanted to know why Jill got so upset when I told her who was on the phone. Did this girl do something bad to her, or her family. I wanted to hug her, and comfort her. She was in the house for a while, and I didn't want to interrupt the conversation she was having. I decided to take my mind off of it, and focus on working. I began to harvest the rest of the crops, putting them in the brown basket. I let out a long sigh, and just couldn't get my mind off of it. Suddenly, I heard slow footsteps approach me. I looked over to see Jill, her head hanging down. Although she still walking over to me, and sat beside me.

"I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't of answered the phone, so I feel it's my fau-" She stopped me by covering my mouth.

"You don't need to apoligize." Her hands rested on my shoulders, as she looked at me, smiling.

"I do. I answered your phone, and none of this would of happened if I had just left it alone. I'm sorry Jill." I felt guilty, and felt my eyes begin to get warm.

She pulled me into a hug, and we stayed like that for a while. She whispered in my ear.

"Everything's okay now. No problems. So cheer up okay? I hate seeing my best friend sad. It makes me sad too." Her tone was soft, and made me relax even more.

We pulled away from the hug, as I smiled at her. But I still wanted to know what the problem was.

"But..can you tell me who that was? Did she do anything bad to upset you?" I asked.

"In a way yeah. She said a lot of things, and did a lot of things that I couldn't forgive. But it's nothing to worry about anymore. I told her to never call me again. So you don't need to be concerned anymore alright?" Jill said, consoling me again.

I nodded my head in acceptance, and trusted her no matter what she said. She could always make me feel better. We didn't talk about it this whole time, but at certain points when I looked over at her, she was staring at nothing, appearing to be in deep thought. She noticed me looking at her, and smiled at me again, and stood up.

"I think we're done for today. Want to go to inside for some tea?" She reached her hand down to pick me up.

"Sounds great! I could use some time to rest." I agreed, taking her hand as she helped me up.

We walked into the house, as I threw myself down onto the couch, looking at the calendar. Then I saw a festival was coming up. The town would host a Starry Night Festival once in a while, but it would be my very first. I know Jill had attended them before though. That reminded me. The festival was at the end of this month

"Hey Jill...Are we going to this?" I asked, pointing over to the calendar.

She walked over, and looked over at the date and smiled.

"Why? Did you want to go?" She asked me.

"Yeah! I think it would be fun to watch the stars on the mountain. Maybe we could even camp up there for the night. Oh, and pack some food!" I started to get excited by just talking and thinking about it.

"Okay, sounds like a plan!" Jill sounded excited too.

We gave little laughs, as she walked into the kitchen, turning on the kettle for tea. She sat down beside me for a while until the water would boil.

"I went to that festival one time and it was boring. I had no one to go with so I just stayed inside and looked at the stars. Lame I know, but it was embarrassing not having anyone to go with while everyone had a date." She said, then covered her mouth, realizing she had just said date.

"N-No I don't mean we're going on a date, I meant-" She was red until I interrupted her, feeling red myself.

"I know what you meant! You meant people were on dates, and you didn't have anyone to hang out with right?" I assumed that's what she had meant.

"Y-Yeah! Oh gosh, I'm sorry for sounding so desperate. It's also because all my friends said no because they were going with their boyfriends, so I pretty much had no friends that day." Her redness slowly faded away, and she looked normal.

I laughed at her embarrassment, holding my stomach in laughter. It was so funny to see her so red. She slapped me with a pillow, and began laughing herself. Then we heard the kettle start boiling, as Jill ran over to unplug it. She put a teabag in each of our cups, and poured the water in. She brought over my tea cup to me. It was a black tea, so obviously we didn't need any milk or sugar. Without thinking of the hotness, I took a sip, then quickly pulled away, as my eyes started to water. I let out a yelp, as Jill looked over at me.

"Are you okay?! Did you burn yourself?" She put her tea down, looking at me.

"Just my tongue. It's okay now though. It shouldn't be too bad." I said, holding my tongue.

"Tilt your head up." She ordered.

"What?"

"Let me see if it's red or not." She said, taking her hand, and tilting my chin up, as I stuck my tongue out for her to look at. She gave me a smile, and patted my head.

"It's a little red, but you should be alright! Be more careful next time. Sheesh!" She slapped my arm, as I pretended to act like it hurt.

"Ow! Don't hit me so hard!" I said, acting in a hurt tone.

"S-Sorry!" She said.

"Just kidding! Take a joke next time, sheesh!" I slapped her arm back, until we leaned against each other laughing at how stupid we could be sometimes.

"It's already getting late. The days go by fast don't they?" She looked out the window while sitting, and looked back at me.

"I know. That's why we need to make each day count. Have no regrets and just do what we want to do. Not follow anyone's rules but ours." I told her.

"That's deep. I can hardly see you because that was so deep." She joked, as I slapped her arm again.

"Shut up." I joked back.

"Make me."

"Okay fine!" I took a pillow off of the couch, and hit her with it several times. She covered her face with her hands and her knees.

She grabbed a pillow behind her, and started hitting me back. We hit each other back and forth, and before we knew it, we were having a pillow fight. We had never done this before, so it was a lot of fun. No matter what Jill and I did, we always found a way to have fun. She hit me so hard, I tumbled down onto my bed, as she continued to hit me as I started breathing heavily.

"I win!" She began laughing, and threw her pillow on me.

"I don't think so." I took her pillow, and had both in my hands.

She stepped back nervously, as I began hitting her with both pillows, until she tumbled onto her bed. I continued to hit her, then I threw both pillows on her this time.

"I'm never going to forgive you." Jill said, grabbing me by the arm, as I fell onto the bed beside her.

I hugged her, as she hugged me back, until we sat up. We were breathing loud and heavily from the intense pillow fight, which made me laugh a little bit.

"What's so funny?" She asked, removing a piece of hair from my face.

"I just thought it's really funny how we're tired over a pillow fight. Usually we're tired over something involving work, but then this happened now we're exhausted." I said, catching my breath.

She laughed as well, and landed on her back.

"You're right, it's pretty funny!" She said staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly her smile vanished.

"Huh? What's wrong?" I asked confused on the sudden mood change.

"I just realized...there are a lot of things I want to tell you since you're my best friend. But I can't find myself to spit them out." Her tone was low, as I sensed hurt in it.

"You know you can tell me anything. I won't judge you on anything you tell me. But you don't need to worry about telling me right now. I can tell it's serious. But can you at least tell me what it's about?" I tapped her hand comfortingly.

"Well...It's just I want to tell you about Jenny, and what she's done but I feel it's not the right time to tell you yet. The only people who know what she's done is me and my parents. If I told you, you'd be the only friend of mine to know. It's not like she did anything life threatening, it just hurt. My parents don't care as much as I did, but for anyone else it would hurt. I thought she was a good person, but then stuff happened that I never expected." I could sense a lump in her throat, as she told me this. She sat up, looking at me with watery eyes.

"That's all you have to tell me. You can tell me when you feel comfortable. I'd hate to force anything upon you. Because I hate seeing you upset!" I rubbed her back, as she hugged me tightly.

"You're the only person I feel I can trust now. She lost my trust a long time ago. It kind of makes me laugh that you have no clue what I'm talking about when it's so blatantly obvious." She giggled, and wiped away a tear.

"I guess I'm not as smart as I thought I was!" I laughed as well.

"It's okay. Let's turn in for the night okay?"

"Okay." I agreed.

We changed into our pyjamas and headed off to bed. The room was silent, as we didn't say a word to each other during that time. Instead, we layed in bed, and both knew each other were still up. So many thoughts ran through my head. Then I remembered what she had said.

"_It kind of makes me laugh that you have no clue what I'm talking about when it's so blatantly obvious."_

Those words ran through my mind, as I tried to remember every single thing she told me about her. The fact that she got mad when she found out about the call, when she said only her parents knew what she had done and didn't care, and how she said that she thought she was a nice person at first but was wrong. But then it hit me. The time where she was talking about her crush. How she mentioned her parents found out and didn't approve, and that she said that they were one of the nicest people she'd ever met. I think I had finally realized what Jill was trying to tell me. But why was she so shy about it? I knew I had to be right.

Jenny was Jill's ex girlfriend.


	5. Chapter 5

It was finally the day of the workshop, and thank goodness it was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining through the windows, and the crops were sprouting. I was so excited to show people how Jill and I lived. Then it came to me. Jill...

Last night I had figured out what Jill meant, although I had no idea what she had done. I looked out the window, as I saw Jill preparing for the day. I watched her work hard, and I smiled to myself. Nothing about Jill changed for me. I wouldn't treat her any differently, and I would act the same way. No matter what, I would always support Jill. I didn't care which gender she preferred, or what type of shampoo she used, or what her shoe size was. They were all pretty much the same thing. Jill saw me through the window, as I waved excitingly to her, she waved back happily, and went back to work. I headed outside to help her prepare, and I wasn't going to tell her I found out. I didn't want her to think I would ever treat her differently.

"You ready for today? I know you've been waiting for this!" Jill hugged me.

"I'm so excited! Showing children and adults from the city how we live, and what we do for a living is an exciting thing. Especially since we get to show them how to do it." I responded.

"I cleared an entire area of the field for them. Also, I have some strawberries to give them!" She picked up the basket of strawberries as I picked one out of the basket and ate it.

"Mmm..So good!" I said.

Suddenly we heard a crowd of voices approach us, and little children holding their parents hands. I felt nervous, yet excited to have them here. They looked around, nodding in approval. That made me even more happy. Jill put her hand on my shoulder, as they walked over to us.

"Welcome! We've been waiting for you all. I'm Jill, and this is my partner in crime Claire. But not actually criminals children, we're farmers." Jill said.

"You're pretty!" A little girl bursted out, pointing at me. I looked shocked, and studied myself up and down.

"Isn't she?" Jill said putting her arm around my shoulders and pointing at me.

"Thank you so much! You too Jill. It means a lot." I said smiling at both of them.

We all got into groups as we demonstrated each step of planting crops. It was kind of funny showing an grown man how to plant crops. I looked over at Jill, as kids surrounded her asking her all sorts of questions. She smiled, and handed out strawberries to each one of them. I smiled and went back to work.

"So like this?" A man said, who was about my age.

"Yes! Good job! It's easy once you know what order to do it in." I said standing up.

"I don't get how a cute girl like you can work as a farmer. You're more of a model type to me." He moved closer to me, as I slightly leaned away, accepting his compliment.

"Oh, T-Thanks! I appreciate it." I said, knowing that was just him flattering me.

"I know I may be coming on too strong but could I get your number?" He continued to hit on me, as I moved away until he grabbed my arm.

"Claire, what's going on here? Sir, are you asking Claire a question about farming?" Jill approached us, glaring at him.

"Not exactly. I was-"

"It looked like you were harassing her. I'm going to have to ask you to take your hand off of her, and please focus on the task you came here for alright? Alright. Carry on." Jill said, pulling me away.

"Thanks so much Jill. I'm so awkward when it comes to stuff like that." I admitted.

"Don't worry about it. I hate people like that. I've met so many people like that in life and it's not the greatest to be hit on by a complete stranger." She told me.

I joined Jill's group which consisted of little children. They were watering crops, as Jill demonstrated the proper way to water, which is what she had showed me that day. I picked up a watering can and joined in with the children. Jill walked back and forth looking at each one of us, and noticed me.

"Claire, Claire, Claire. I've shown you this before! Like this." She was behind me, guiding my arm once again.

The children watched Jill guide me, and started to follow what I was doing. We finally finished watering everything, as the children and adults received strawberries to take home. The workshop wasn't long, but it was really fun. I threw myself under the tree, and rested under the shade. Jill joined me, and sat beside me. We were quiet for a minute until she said something very unexpected to me.

"You found out didn't you?" She smiled, while she said it.

"Huh? How did you know?" I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I couldn't sense it, but I had a feeling since I heard you talking in your sleep last night." Jill said laughing.

"W-What?! I said it in my sleep?" I felt my cheeks go red.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny. You said the word girlfriend, and Jenny, then my name. It made me laugh, but I'm happy you found out. You're my best friend after all." She continued to look at me in the eye.

"Just so you know, I will never, ever treat you differently. You will always be the same Jill to me." I told her. She hugged me after that response.

"Thank you. My parents don't approve of it, but I couldn't give a shit on what they think of me. It's my life and I can do what I want." She said, looking up at the clouds.

"I like that attitude!" I said to her.

"So? See any guys that caught your eye?" She asked me.

"Nope. The only one was that creep, but that was because he approached me. I didn't want anything to do with him."

"You should of screamed out stranger danger. That would of got him running for the hills." Jill said laughing. I joined in as well.

It was quiet for a long moment, although it didn't feel awkward for some reason. Until the sound of a growling stomach broke the silence. We looked at each other shocked, and started laughing.

"That was you!" We said at the same time, pointing at each other. This made us laugh even more.

"I'm guessing we're both hungry? Let's go eat at Ann's. We've been home too much. Besides I've been wanting to eat out with you for a while!" Jill said, helping me up.

"Sounds good! I've been craving Ann's food too, and I like coming out with you to eat." I said to her.

We began walking together to the Inn, as I noticed a smile on Jill's face.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked her. She was always smiling, which made me smile too.

"Just how lucky I am to have you in my life, and living here too." She said, looking at me. It made me feel really happy to hear her say that.

We got to the Inn, and there was the group of girls surrounding the bar. They turned to see us, and got up from their chairs with big smiles.

"Hey you guys! We were just going to celebrate Trent and Elli on their relationship! Want to toast?" Ann said, pulling our hands, before we could even answer.

"I thought we came here to eat..." I whispered in Jill's ear.

"We did. We'll make this fast, and then eat." Jill whispered back to me.

"To Trent and Elli! To making new memories as a couple." Popuri said, raising her glass in the air, as everyone else did the same.

We clinked our glasses together, and took a sip of champagne. It was quite strong, so I'm sure Karen was the one who brought it over.

"Hello Claire and Jill! How are you both? I haven't seen you lately!" Elli said, standing up to give us both hugs.

"Working as always! But we find time to just hang out together." I told her. She gave me a warm smile.

"That's so great! It's always important to make time for those most important to you." Elli told us, looking over at Trent, who kissed her hand.

"So what brings you guys here?" Ann said to us.

"We were hungry so we thought we would come over to eat. Do you mind fixing something up for us?" Jill asked politely.

"Not at all! Go sit down and I'll bring it right over!" Ann said, as her perky self.

Jill and I sat down at table, looking over at the celebration. Karen was most likely drunk already, Elli and Trent were giving each other small kisses, and Popuri was laughing at Karen who was pouring herself even more alcohol.

"It sure is fun to be with everyone at times like this don't you think?" I told Jill.

"Yeah! Everyone has so much energy, I love it." Jill said, agreeing with me.

Ann came over with two plates of pasta, which smelled really good. My mouth watered just looking at it.

"Enjoy!" Ann said waving to us, and joining the group over at the bar.

We began eating together, until Jill dangled a piece of pasta in her mouth, not eating it or anything. She just looked at me with a smile.

"What on earth are you doing? You realize you're suppose to eat it right?" I joked, yet still said confused.

"Take the other end!" Jill demanded.

"W-What? Isn't that from a movie? Where they put their mouths on both ends and...you know what comes next!" I felt myself become embarrassed.

"Oh come on, we're not actually going to do it! Just take a bite from that end and then let go." She said laughing.

I let out a long sigh and followed her orders. I picked up the other end of the long piece of pasta and put my mouth on the other end. She smiled at me through the pasta and took a bite from the end, as I did the same. The other girls looked over at us shocked, but then started giggling as if it were just a joke.

"That's so cute!" Popuri said to us.

"It was only suppose to be a joke guys, don't worry about it!" Jill said to them, as they nodded their heads smiling at us, and whispering.

I felt a little embarrassed, but I laughed it off. It's not like we actually kissed so it was nothing to worry about. I knew Jill would never do something like that to me.

We finished up our pasta, and said our goodbyes to the group and walked out. We walked around the town for a while more, just enjoying the evening.

"Where do you want to go now?" Jill asked me. I moved my shoulders up and down. Suddenly I got an idea.

"Why don't we go watch movies at home? We can stay up late watching movies all night. I've always wanted to do that with someone!" I said happily.

"That sounds like fun! Come on lets go." Jill grabbed my arm, and began running home.

"Not so fast! I can't keep up!" I said, as she continued to run.

We finally got in the house, as Jill pulled out a bunch of movies from her drawer. I browsed through them and picked a thriller movie.

"This is one of my favourite movies! I'm so happy you have it." I said putting it in the DVD player.

"It's one of my favourites too." Jill said sitting beside me.

We turned off the lights, and shut the curtains to enjoy the movie experience even more. It felt like we were in a movie theatre, except a smaller screen. We started to watch the movie together in complete silence.

The movie got halfway through, as I felt my eyes get heavy. I started to tilt over, but caught myself from falling asleep. Jill was staring directly at the screen, so she must of been really into the movie. I looked at the screen trying to stay awake, until I couldn't handle it anymore. I felt my eyes close completely feeling my body tilt over automatically. I felt my head hit something comfy. But after that I was off to sleep in a daze.

The morning approached, as I opened my eyes to find myself on the couch, laying next to Jill. Then I remembered. I fell asleep during the movie. She must of not wanted to wake me up. I smiled as I saw her sleeping. She looked so relaxed when she's sleeping. I've never seen her sleeping face before.

But I liked it.


	6. Chapter 6

I lay beside Jill for what seemed like forever. But it didn't bother me for some finally awoke, to see me still laying next to her. She looked surprised, until she remembered what happened last night.

"Oh yeah. You fell asleep on me, on the first movie too." Jill said, sounding upset.

"I'm sorry. I suggested the idea we watch movies and I totally just ruined it." I got upset too, until she noticed I looked down. She hugged me tightly as usual when I'm upset.

"It's alright. We can do it again sometime. Just be well rested this time okay?" She said. I nodded my head, smiling at her.

Jill and I sat beside each other, until I heard her text tone go off. She got up and walked over to her phone, displeased.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Jenny. I thought I told her to stop contacting me!" She said angrily.

She showed me the text, as I read each word she put.

"_Oh hey Jill, that girl that answered your phone. She your new girlfriend? Well, I hope you have a happy life. I'm going to make you regret everything you did. Be prepared."_

Her face froze, as she looked over at me worried. I could tell she was concerned on what she said.

"Hey, everything's going to be fine. I'll be by your side no matter what. I doubt she'll do anything." I hugged her, feeling her arms wrap around my back.

"I feel worried now. I can't help but think what she's planning. Oh and...Sorry about the part about you. She's mistaken big time." Jill said, looking back at her phone.

"That's alright. I see how she could of misunderstood that." I giggled.

"I think it's time I told you why I dislike her so much now." Jill stared deep into my eyes with a serious face.

"I asked her out and she accepted. We started dating and I thought we were inseparable. My parents found out and didn't like it. They told me I should like boys, not girls. But I couldn't. That's why I moved here. To avoid them, and start a new life. But before I even came here I told Jenny what I was thinking. She told me to stay and work everything out but I declined. I told her I cared so much about her. She said she felt the same, and even said she loved me. So the day before I left, I went over to say goodbye but then I saw her, with another girl. I was frozen. I screamed at her and told her how she could do that to me, after I told her how much I cared for her. Even after she said she loved me. I stormed out of her house and came here immediately. I never felt so hurt by someone in my life, rather than my parents. That's why I'm so happy I have you as my friend Claire. You mean so much to me, I'd probably die if I didn't have you." Jill said tearing up.

Those words made me feel warm inside, and gave me butterflies. I couldn't explain to Jill how much those words meant to me. I put my hands on her cheeks, as she looked up at me.

"You're the strongest person I've ever met Jill. You're a hard worker, and one of a kind. I wouldn't be this far in life if it wasn't for you. Before I came here I was a wreck. I thought coming here would help me just relax, and not worry about people's opinions of me. You changed my mind. I learned that, no matter who you meet in life, you need to accept each others flaws. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you." I said straight into her eyes. She smiled big, as she kept looking at me.

We looked at each other for the longest time until she looked away clearing her throat.

"Thank you, Claire. You always know what to say."

"You as well."

"Let's play a game to get our minds off of this, alright?" Jill suggested.

"Okay! What game?" I asked curiously.

"Truth or Dare! Lets call over the other girls to play. It'll be more fun. Text them wont you?" Jill said excitingly.

I agreed, as I texted Elli, Karen, Popuri and Ann to come over to play. I had a feeling this night would be one of the best I've had in a while.

A few minutes past, as Jill put out a candy and chip bowl in the middle of the living room floor. The doorbell rang, as I got up to open the door. There stood the girls with big smiles on their faces.

"Girls night again! This is going to be so much fun!" Popuri said, sitting down with the candy and chips.

"We haven't done this since last month. It's awesome to do this again." Karen said sitting beside Popuri.

"Let's sit in a circle and begin then!" I said to everybody, as we surrounded the food in a big circle.

I sat beside Jill and Elli, and Ann sat beside Jill and Karen. We decided on who would ask first, and Jill was eventually picked.

"Hmm...Claire? Truth or dare?" She asked me.

"Truth." I picked.

"Okay...Who was your first kiss?" Jill asked.

"Ooooh good one!" Ann exclaimed.

I felt my cheeks get red, and I looked down embarrassed. Everyone looked at me confused, until I confessed.

"I haven't had my first kiss yet." I said hiding my face in my hands.

"Really? Oh well! That doesn't matter. You'll get it someday right?" Elli said to me.

"I hope so. I'd hate to die without having kissed someone already." I said, as everyone laughed.

"Okay Claire. Your turn." Jill said to me.

I thought about who I should ask, as I looked around the room. I really wanted to ask Jill, but that wouldn't be fair to the other girls. I decided to ask Elli.

"Elli? Truth or Dare?" I asked her.

"Definitely truth." Elli said.

I tried to come up with a truth, until Jill whispered in my ear suddenly, which made me jump.

"Ask her if she's lost her V-Card to Trent yet." Jill said.

"W-What?! I can't ask that!" I got red.

"Just do it. It will make you feel less embarrassed from my question." She said raising her eyebrow at me.

"I highly doubt that's possible. Do you know how embarrassed I was? Just wait until I ask you. I'll come up with something that you won't even want to answer." I raised my eyebrow back at her. We began laughing as someone cleared their throat.

"Stop flirting and ask Elli a question!" Karen said.

"F-Flirting? That wasn't even-"

"Sorry. Claire go ahead." Jill said interrupting me.

"Uh, okay. Elli have you...well...had sex with Trent yet?" I asked, feeling myself go pink.

"Haha, oh gosh! That's a good one! I was wondering that too." Karen said laughing.

"Claire! That's a personal question!" Elli said shyly, looking down.

"So you have?" Jill began giggling, as everyone joined in as well.

"Of course not! We just started dating for goddess sake!" Elli yelled.

I reached over to the candy bowl giggling, realizing we had run out of candy already. I picked up the bowl and stood up, until Jill grabbed my arm.

"Leave it. We can fill it up later. Keep playing!" Jill said pulling me down, as I fell into her.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to fall on you." I exclaimed.

"You're such a worrier! It's so funny. You really think I care if you fall on me?" Jill said hugging me in her arms.

I saw Karen whisper over to Elli, as they both giggled while looking at us. I felt shy, as I escaped from Jill's grasp, because I knew they were making fun of us. But it wasn't a big deal. Jill was my friend, so why was it a big deal if we hugged in front of everyone. I saw Elli nod her head as she turned to Jill.

"Jill! Truth or dare?" Elli asked.

"Ugh why me? Hmm...Dare for a change. Nothing embarrassing please." Jill pleaded.

"But that's the whole point of a dare. To make yourself look silly." Ann told her.

Karen whispered over to Elli again, as she gasped at her words. I couldn't make out what she said, but Elli hesitated as she asked Jill the question.

"I dare you to...Erm...Karen I can't!" Elli said.

"Just do it!"

"K-Kiss Claire!" My heart started pounding fast as I heard her words.

I looked over at Jill, who's face turned still, glaring over at Karen. Her gaze was strong, as I saw how mad she was.

What was going to happen now?


	7. Chapter 7

"Don't you think that's a little much Elli? They're best friends, that's too awkward." Ann said to her.

"It wasn't my idea, it was Karen's!" Elli exclaimed.

"Enough! I think this game is over. I think you guys should leave now. It would probably be best." Jill said, opening the front door. I saw her whisper over at Ann, as she smiled.

"Well, thanks for the fun evening I guess. Bye Claire, Jill." Karen said waving goodbye to us.

"Bye guys. Thanks for coming." I said, watching each one of them walk out.

Jill slammed the door, avoiding my eye contact. Her eyes were sharp, and honestly she looked a little scary. I put my hand on her shoulder, as she gazed over at my hand.

"It's alright. I agree, that was going a bit too far, when she knew how close we are. It was disrespectful." I comforted her, and began rubbing her back.

"Yeah." Was all Jill said.

I began to clean up, as she stood in the same spot, appearing deep in thought. Why was she so upset about it? I mean, I understand that Karen was asking for too much, but I wasn't embarrassed. Maybe because she wasn't ready to do such a thing after hearing about Jenny? I glanced over at her, feeling upset seeing her like that.

"Jill..." I said in a low tone.

She snapped back to reality as I called her name. She gave me a tiny smile, as she threw herself on her bed.

"Let's not do that anymore okay? Lets just hang out together from now on." Jill told me.

"I like that idea." I said, smiling back at her.

We both let out a long sigh, until I realized the Starry Night festival was in three days. I felt excitement build up in me, as I ran over to Jill, shaking her shoulder.

"Hey, we're still going to camp out on the mountain right? For the festival?" I asked her.

"Of course. I'm really excited." Jill said, still in a slight upset tone.

"Aw, come on cheer up. I don't like seeing you upset." I begged her.

"It just bugs me that she would ruin the night with such a question. You're my best friend, and it's not that I hated the idea, it's just...bugging me. I would be stealing your first kiss, and it made me feel guilty. I-I'm not saying I would kiss you if I had the chance though!" Her cheeks got pink as she spoke. It made me giggle.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because, it's kind of funny! When you think about it, it's just a friendly kiss. I'm not saying I was waiting for you to kiss me, but it's funny how we're making such a big deal about it. We're close as anything, so this shouldn't bother us. But I understand how it made things awkward." I explained to her.

"Exactly what I was thinking! Thanks Claire. You're so smart when it comes to this stuff. Let's head to bed and just forget today alright?" Jill said pointing at my bed.

"Alright. Goodnight Jill." I said.

"Goodnight Claire."

We shut off all the lights, although I couldn't fall asleep. I sat up and peeked over at Jill, who was on her side, but I couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not. I lay back down, and shut my eyes, thinking of good thoughts. I pictured scenarios in my head, and for some reason the picture of kissing Jill during truth or dare came to my head. I shook my head as to get rid of such a thought, and tried my hardest to fall asleep.

I suddenly woke up, but it wasn't morning. I checked the clock on my beside table which read 2:30am. Why was I up so early? I sat up from my bed, hearing the sound of Jill's breathing in the room. It wasn't loud, but it was quiet enough in the room to hear it. I looked over at the calendar on the wall and smiled to myself. For some reason I really wanted to just pull Jill out of bed and just stay up talking to her for hours and hours. I felt the happiest when I was talking to her.

"Jill." I whispered.

Obviously she didn't respond, as she turned onto her side, letting out a little moan. I smiled to myself, as I went back down into my bed, just staring at the calendar. Why was I so excited for that? I thought about it, as I felt myself drift off to sleep, feeling the smile still on my face.

It was the usual day the next morning, working in the fields, and talking to Jill while working. We talked about random things such as life here, and just about work in general. Then she said something about my life.

"I haven't heard much about your life. You've only asked me about mine." Jill said, dragging me over to the tree in the shade. We both sat down beside each other.

"There's not really much to say. I was the average city girl, although I wasn't liked very much at school because I was different. I didn't like to dress like all of them. I was kind of a tomboy. So my parents pulled me out of school and I was home schooled from then on. That's why I didn't have much friends back home. Until I came here. I met you and my whole life changed from then on!" I explained to her.

"Wow, compared to my life you had it good. I'm a bit jealous of you." She put her head on my lap.

"Why so? You have nothing to be jealous about." I said.

"You're perfect! I wish I had your life. It sucks having a complicating life you can't escape from even if you try. But this changed my mind in a way. Jenny hasn't struck yet, so I guess you can say my life is going pretty good so far." She said to me.

"Just think. Two more days till the festival!" I said.

"You're too excited about that aren't you?" Jill said giggling at me.

"I don't know why! But spending a whole night with you under the stars sounds really fun." I told her.

"It does sound great. I'm looking forward to it! There's no one else I'd want to spend the day with." Jill said, hugging me tightly.

I sat under the tree with my eyes closed, as Jill sat up, as I could feel her gaze on mine. I continued to have my eyes closed, until I felt her kiss my cheek. My eyes shot open, as I looked at her surprised. She laughed.

"There! My dare is finished! Feels so good to get it off of my back." She said letting out a huge sigh.

"I was not expecting that at all. Wow. You're too sneaky." I said slapping her arm over at over.

We laughed together, as we suddenly stared at each other with still faces, just studying each other for an unknown reason. Then Jill's eyes met the ground, and stood up quickly.

"Well, lets get back to work shall we?" She said.

"Nah, I don't feel like it." I teased, resting my head against the tree.

"Excuse me? Did you just say no?" She said hovering over me.

"That's right. What are you gonna do about it? Throw corn at me?" I laughed at my own joke after I said this. Jill rolled her eyes.

Jill disappeared for a minute, as I was confused on where she went. She brought over a bucket, and as soon as I knew it she dumped the water all over me. My jaw dropped, as I flicked the wet water off of my shirt. I looked over at her, giving a proud look. She had her arms crossed, as I stood up, inches away from her face, glaring right at her.

"You're going to pay for this." I said through my teeth, which were grinding together.

"I'm not afraid of you." Jill said moving her face closer to mine.

I chased her around as we most likely ran a million laps around the farm. I chased her around with a sickle which was pretty evil if I had to say, but it was funny seeing her face when I picked it up. I began chasing her around with it, until I tripped over on the grass, and next thing I knew it, I had landed on the sickle, straight onto my leg.

I could feel my face go into shock, as I felt a burning pain in my leg. It felt like my leg was numb, although I knew it was still there. I was still in shock, as Jill's face went into shock as well, running over to me. She rolled up my pantleg, revealing blood all over my leg, and it wouldn't stop.

"Oh my god Claire! Hang in there, I'll call the doctor!" She ran into the house, as I gripped onto my leg in pain, but I wasn't crying. I was stronger than that.

Before I knew it, Jill came running out of the house, throwing me over her shoulder.

"We need to head over there fast before you loose too much blood. Please stay conscious. Claire, you're fine. Please talk to me."

I said the only possible thing I could think of, as I was in her arms.

"H-Have I gotten heavier...?"

She gave a little giggle through her tears, and I suddenly felt guilt for making her upset. I wasn't dying, I had just cut through my skin, and she was worried about me. It made my heart ache for an unknown reason. I held onto her back, as we reached the clinic. Elli and Dr. Trent came running up to us, as Elli had a worried tone.

"Claire! Are you alright? Trent get her down on the bed!" She said in a heavy tone, as Trent took me in his arms.

He placed me on a bed, and ran over to the table to grab something to wrap my leg with. He began wrapping it around my wound, as I saw the blood just soak through. It must have really stabbed me, because at this point I felt lightheaded.

"Claire, you're loosing a lot of blood. Hang in there while I wrap it up with something stronger okay?" He said patting me on the head.

"Jill...Where's Jill..." I managed to speak out.

"She's in the other room. Would you like me to get her?" He asked me, as I nodded my head slowly.

Trent walked out of the room to get Jill, as I saw her in tears, and it made me feel sad, yet happy to know she cared so much. She sat beside me as Trent wrapped my leg up, stroking my hair.

"You're going to be fine. This is all my fault Claire. If I hadn't dumped all that water on you, then you never would of picked up that sickle. It was a long one too you idiot." She giggled through her tears.

"It was my fault...Jill...I-I'm sorry." I grabbed her hand with mine, as she smiled down on me.

"You're apologizing? You're so silly."

We smiled at each other, as I began to feel my leg a little more than I did before.

"Claire...please never do something like that to me again. Promise?" She asked.

"I promise."

I vowed to never do anything to upset Jill ever again. I knew I would keep that promise.


	8. Chapter 8

I spent the night at the hospital, which was actually the first night I've ever spent away from Jill. I worried about how she was that night, whether she was worried about me, or just knew I would be fine. I looked down at my leg, which had some blood on it, but it appeared to have stopped bleeding. I ran my leg over the bandage to see if the blood was dry or not, and I felt relief to know it was dried. Elli came in the room as she must of heard me, and gave me a warm smile.

"Feeling better? Oh Claire, you're so clumsy!" Elli said, giving me a shoulder to walk on.

I laughed at her words, as I focused on walking properly. I could walk just fine, although I felt a tiny pain when I put pressure on my left leg. It wasn't a throbbing pain, but enough to bare it.

"I think I can handle myself now. Thank you so much Elli." I hugged her.

"Anytime Claire! I gave Jill some painkillers for you, incase you experience a lot of pain in your leg. Other than that, it should heal properly. You're lucky it didn't jab into your bone!" Elli giggled, opening the door for me.

"Thank you again. I've learned my lesson on how to not chase Jill around, or anyone with a sickle." I laughed, then waved goodbye.

I walked back to the farm, feeling happy. Even though I didn't see her for hours, I missed Jill. I couldn't wait to hug her, and make her feel guilty just by teasing her. I even had a dream about her last night, as strange as that sounds. We were sitting in a flower field, and sat there talking. Then she moved closer, and closer to me, then the dream ended there. It was strange how often I was thinking about her lately. She's that one person I can rely on, and she can read me like a book. Sometimes even more than my parents could read me.

By the time I reached the farm field, I didn't see Jill out working. She must of been inside. I hesitantly opened the door, and saw Jill flipping through the channels on the television. I closed the door behind me silently to go up and scare her. I tiptoed behind the couch, and jumped on her stomach. It hurt my leg a bit, but it was alright.

"Oomph!" She let out, until she saw my face. Then a huge smile appeared on her face.

"Claire!" She hugged me tightly, as we sat up together on the couch hugging each other, while talking.

"Ugh, I hated sleeping in that clinic. I missed my bed, and having late night conversations with you. It was weird hearing beeping noises all night." I said muffled in her shirt.

"It was weird being here all alone too. I even said your name at one point then thought 'Oh yeah she's gone' ". Jill said to me.

We both laughed, as I saw a tent bag at the side of the living room. Then I remembered the festival was tomorrow. I smiled thinking of it.

"I slept in your bed last night, as weird as that sounds. It made me feel I was still close to you." Jill said shyly.

"That's alright. I would of done the same if you were gone." I said, feeling a little shy as well.

"Claire."

"Hm?"

"Nevermind. It's not important right now." She said turning back to the television. I really wanted to know what she was going to say.

I watched television with her, as we were watching a romance movie. It was about this girl who fell in love with her best guy friend, but they couldn't be together because he was dating her best friend. He even broke up with her friend, to date her. They started to kiss deeply, as I smiled at the romance of it. I started to tear up because it was so sweet.

"Are you crying?" Jill said looking over at me.

"It's just so touching!" I wiped away my tears with my sleeve.

"You're such a softy, it's so adorable!" Jill said giggling.

It got awkward as a sex scene came on, showing them take their clothes off, feeling each others body press together, kissing each other non stop. But it was romantic. I felt Jill's face turn away, although my eyes were peeled to the tv.

"Pervert." Jill said looking at me.

"What? It's romantic? It shows how much they really love each other. Don't be such a child Jill." I joked, slapping her with a pillow.

"Me? A child? Claire you're the child here!" Jill joked back.

"We're the same age! How can I be a child?" I questioned her.

"I'm just kidding. You're mature, don't doubt it. I've met a lot of childish people in my lifetime, and you're not one of them." She patted my shoulder.

"You're not childish either. Sorry." I apoligized.

"You say sorry way too much." She said placing both her hand on my chin.

"Sorry." I joked.

"Ugh I wish I could just shut you up!"

"Sorry." I said again laughing.

She covered my mouth with her hand, as I began hitting her on the head over and over, but she wouldn't let go. We moved all over the place, as I fell on top of her, as she still covered my mouth. I found a way to make her let go. I licked her hand, but she didn't even flinch, as her hand was still on my mouth. She finally took it off as I let out a bunch of air, as she began laughing at me.

"Will you stop saying sorry now?" She demanded.

"Yes Ma'am." I saluted her.

Then the house phone began to ring, interrupting our fun. Jill got up from the couch and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

She let the other person talk, until she handed the phone over to me. I looked confused, as I grabbed the phone. Mouthing "Who is it?" to Jill, she smiled at me, as I greeted them.

"Claire! It's mom." She said.

"Mom? Why couldn't you just text me?" I asked her.

"Do I not have a good reason to talk to my own daughter?" She sounded upset.

"No, No! That's not it! It's just I'm kind of busy." Jill laughed at my words.

"Oh? What were you doing?" She asked. I hesitated, as I motioned Jill to help me out.

"Claire! Can you come help me outside please?" Jill pretended to yell out to me, as I held in my laugh.

"Oh, that's Jill calling for me! Could you call me back another time?" I asked her politely.

"Of course dear. I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye." She hung up, as I heard a click.

I let out a long sigh, leaning against Jill's shoulder, and rested my head on it.

"Why didn't you want to talk to her? She's your mother after all." Jill said.

"I just didn't feel like talking to her right now. She'll eventually end up teasing me about stupid things and how I need to start my life already and stop fooling around." I told her.

"What does she tease you about?" Jill asked me.

"She texted me one day asking if there were any boys. It got me upset because she expects me to just get a boyfriend so quickly, when I don't even want a boyfriend right now." I said.

"Oh. Why don't you want a boyfriend?"

"It's not that I don't want one, I'm just scared of commitment. I've never had a relationship before, so I'm just scared that they won't treat me right you know?" I explained.

"Your partner should treat you right all the time. You don't just hook up with someone because you want too, you choose them because you know how they are, and know they will always be by your side." Jill looked at me while speaking.

"Look at the love expert here." I teased her again.

"Shut up." She pushed me, smiling.

"Sor-" She covered my mouth with her finger this time.

"I swear, if you say sorry one more time I'm going to get even more violent." Jill said with a serious face.

We laughed together as always, and continued just talking to each other, and making jokes. I couldn't wait for tomorrow night, where it would just consist of Jill and I in the outdoors, camping out together on the mountain. I felt butterflies in my stomach for a weird reason, and knew it would be a night I would never forget.


	9. Chapter 9

The day finally came for the festival, as oddly as Jill and I did, we slept in till 10:00 in the morning. It must of been from my injury, or that we finally got the rest we needed. I saw Jill packing some marshmallows in a container, as well as mini sandwiches. It was making me hungry just watching her put the sandwiches together with her delicate hands. She didn't make a lot since we would only be out for a night, but it was enough for both of us in case we got even more hungrier. I walked into the kitchen and stood beside her.

"Is there anything I can help with?" I said, stealing a marshmallow out of the bag.

"Nope, it's all set! If you're wondering why I'm packing marshmallows, it's because we're going to make a fire to roast them up there. It's not camping out without roasting marshmallows am I right?" She explained to me, as she put them in a tiny bag.

"I've never roasted marshmallows before, so I'm not too sure if I can agree with that." I told her. Her face looked shocked, as her eyes widened.

"Never? Gosh, you've never done anything it seems like. I'll make sure that changes." Jill said nudging my arm.

"I know, I'm a bore huh?" I laughed as I said this.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a hug.

I hugged her back, even though I was kidding. Then I remembered we still had work to do. I escaped from her hug, and slipped on my sneakers.

"We still need to do some work before we go tonight. Like watering the crops, and harvesting the crops from the group that came." I told Jill. She let out a long sigh.

"Alright. Although I'm not in the mood to work today I'll listen to your request." Jill scoffed, as she put on her sneakers as well.

We headed out to the field, as I walked over to the crops with a basket in my hand. We had grown watermelons which was Jill's favourite. I liked them too, but not as much as strawberries. I began to pull the watermelons out of the ground, fitting as many as I possibly could in my big basket. There were only 5, so I knew they would all fit. I pulled on the last watermelon, trying my best to pull it out of the ground. Jill saw me struggling, and began laughing as she put down her watering can and walked over to me from behind. She put her hands on my wrists, as we both pulled at the same time. The watermelon flew up from the ground, as I tumbled back onto her, this time her arms wrapped around my stomach. We began laughing, and stood up giving each other a high five.

"You need some muscles!" Jill said squeezing my arm.

"I do have muscles! I could of pulled that out by myself!" I told her.

"I don't think so. You were struggling. It was so adorable!" Jill began laughing at me. I pouted.

"Aw come on, don't pout." She said, squeezing my cheeks.

"You're making fun of me! Obviously I'm going to pout." I turned my back on her jokingly, but waiting for her to respond.

"I'm sorry! Claireee..." Jill wrapped her arms around my shoulders, hugging me. I put my hands on her arms, and turned around to face her.

"It's okay, relax! I was just teasing you."

I suddenly felt butterflies as our faces were inches away from each other, as we both backed up clearing our throats from the embarrassment.

"Well, um, I think we've done enough for today. I watered as much as I could anyway." Jill pointed over at the watered crops, which were beginning to sprout.

"Yeah. Want to go visit Ann?" I offered.

"No not really. They always tease us and it gets annoying." Jill sighed.

"Oh yeah, that's right..." I said quietly.

Why did it feel awkward just now? We've never really had an awkward moment like this. It was strange. I didn't really like it.

"Jill?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you're going to stay in this town forever? I mean like, for the rest of your life."

"Hm..I actually have no idea. I guess I have to just wait for what the future holds for me I suppose. But I plan on staying here. Why do you ask?" She said puzzled.

"I don't know, I just thought if you ever left I would be alone and then I'd have to work on the farm all by myself, without you by my side." I felt my cheeks go pink, as she raised my chin so I was looking at her.

"You don't have to worry about that! Wherever I go, I would end up bringing you with me anyway." She said smiling at me.

"R-Really? You'd actually do that just for me? I'd feel like such a pain though." I told her, looking straight into her eyes.

"You'd never be a pain to me! Don't you know that yet?"

"I guess not. But I'll try to believe it. Because you're my best friend Jill." I said, hugging her tightly.

"And you're mine."

We hugged for a long time, not getting tired of holding on to each other. Jill made me feel safe, and even made me smile when I didn't even want to. She was a really important person to me, and I couldn't even figure out why I asked her such a question. I might be afraid that she would just leave someday without me knowing, but I know she would never do that. But why did it concern me so much?

We finally released from our hug, as I realized it was already 1pm. Time flies by when you're working. She ruffled my hair, and gave me another warm smile.

"Want to go inside to eat? I'm starving." She asked, linking arms with me.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing! Yeah, lets go eat." I said.

We walked into the house linking arms, as we walked into the kitchen and decided to cook together. We made a simple sandwich, which consisted of lettuce, cheese, tomato and chicken. I'd never cooked with Jill before, she usually made our lunch because she was such a good cook. She passed me my plate, as we walked over to the dining table to eat. It was a cute, little table because it was just us. I rolled up my pantleg to check on my wound, seeing it had healed a bit since I had removed the bandage. It was still red, and there was a cut, but the pain wasn't as strong as it was before. Jill saw me looking at my leg, and spoke up.

"How is it now? I noticed you're walking better." She said standing up from her chair, and kneeling down at my leg.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt much anymore. Sheesh, I'm such a clumsy idiot!" I said jokingly.

She ran her fingers over the wound, which sent a tingle through my body. It kind of tickled as she touched it, as I let out a little giggle. She looked up at me.

"What's wrong?" She asked, grinning.

"N-Nothing! It just tickles that's all." I began laughing more, as she touched it again.

"Gosh, you're so ticklish! But it's cute!" She said poking me in the sides, which made me jump.

"Just go eat your lunch and stop tickling me!" I said, pushing her away playfully.

"You're so demanding! I'm just going to continue tickling you until you stop being so bossy!" Jill said chasing me around the living room, and caught up to me.

"S-Stop!" I began laughing harder, as she tickled my sides, and my neck.

I fell back onto the couch, as she tickled my stomach, as I kicked my legs up in the air while laughing. I tried to push her away, but she wouldn't stop. My stomach hurt from laughing so much, and her fingers just kept tickling me. Finally, she stopped, as I started breathing heavily from my laughter, and how tired I was from trying to get away from her.

"You learned your lesson now?" Jill said patting my head.

"There was no lesson to be taught in the first place!" I exclaimed.

She walked over to me with a mischievous face, with her hands reaching out to me, until I stepped back, getting away from her.

"Okay, Okay fine! I learned my lesson!" I said putting my hands up.

"Good! Now, continue eating." Jill said.

She calls me the bossy one? Pfft.

We sat back down on the table, as I finished up my sandwich the same time she did. I walked over to the sink and turned on the hot water, until I burned my hand. I pulled my hand back fast, feeling the burning sensation on my hand for a couple seconds until it went away. My hand was red, but it's not like I injured myself. I laughed at my mistake, and continued doing dishes. Until Jill came up beside me.

"Burned yourself? Gosh, you're clumsier than I thought!" She took my hand, and turned on the cold water, running my hand under it. It felt good, as I noticed the redness slowly going away.

"You always come to save me from the most stupidest things. But thanks." I turned to her.

"You just gotta be more careful, silly." She shook her head smiling, as she dried my hand with the towel.

We continued to carry our conversation while I did the dishes. She helped me out by drying, and as we finally finished it had hit 2:00. I was so excited for tonight, I couldn't wait to see the stars with Jill. But for some reason it felt like a date to me. Going with someone to the festival was always known as a date. But why didn't it bother me? Friends go on dates, don't they? So this is perfectly normal. It didn't bother me at all. I glanced over at Jill who was putting the rest of the dishes away that had finally dried. She really was beautiful. I loved the way her hair fell onto her shoulders in the most perfect way, how she was only 2 inches taller than me, and her figure which was thin. I was envious of her in so many ways. I liked looking at her.

She was that one person I looked up to the most. It would never change.


	10. Chapter 10

The evening finally came, as Jill and I were preparing to head up to the mountain. It was already 7pm, as I carried the bag of food, and she carried the tent. Thank goodness it was a beautiful night out. It was a warm wind, but not strong, as the chirping of birds surrounded the air. The sun was setting, as the sky was a beautiful shade of a light, and dark orange. The smell of pine was usually in the air as well, as I breathed in the wonderful aroma.

"I'm so excited! The stars are going to be so bright tonight." I said to Jill.

"You've been excited about this for so long! I love seeing how excited you are for it." She said, shooting me a smile.

We almost had reached the mountain, as we passed by the hot spring. I loved the forest. It was great that it was just across from the farm. I always liked to go there to relax, but I haven't done that in a while. But I find camping out on a mountain much better.

"Well, after all the hill climbing, we're finally here!" Jill said, throwing the tent down on the mountain's surface.

My jaw dropped open, as I saw the clear view from the very top. I walked towards the edge of the mountain, looking out on the view of mineral town. It looked so small, and made me feel like a giant. It was an amazing view. All you could see was the street lights shining down on us, and you could even slightly see the farm. I took in the amazing view, as Jill came to stand beside me.

"I love it up here. It's so relaxing. It's one of the best spots to see the stars." She told me.

"I've never been up here. I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking me up here Jill!" I pulled her into a hug, as her arms wrapped around me.

I felt the sky get darker, but the stars weren't out yet. I decided to help Jill put the tent up, as I turned around to see it was already put up. It was a red tent, and actually quite bigger than I thought it would be. I looked at her shocked, as she gave a little giggle.

"I've put together so many tents in my life, it's natural for me. I used to go camping with my parents all the time when I was little." She said in a soft tone.

"But now they don't appreciate you anymore right?" I asked curiously.

"I guess you can say that. They said they didn't raise me to be the way I am, but that's the whole point. I wasn't brought up to be the way I am, I became this on my own. Because it was my choice. I wouldn't change it for the world." She said, as I could sense the hurt in her voice.

She headed over to the tent, opening the entrance, and motioned for me to come in.

"It's too early to just be waiting out here. Plus I still to set up our sleeping bags. Come talk to me while I do that. Please?" She sounded like she was begging.

I gave a little laugh, as I nodded my head, and walked into the tent. It felt so cozy in here. I really liked it. I looked over at Jill who was laying on her back, with her arms behind her head. I felt somewhat bad for bringing up the situation with her parents. I realized I always say things to her I shouldn't say, and later on regret it. I was always afraid she was hurt by me asking such things, and maybe that she's hiding how I made her feel. I began to feel my eyes tear up, as the sniffles came along as well. She looked over at me confused, and sat up, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"Hey. Why are you crying?" She said, rubbing my shoulder.

"I just...I always feel so bad for bringing up things about your life that I shouldn't, and making you feel upset because of me. I should just keep my mouth shut from now on, because I feel like crap when I know I made you feel upset about talking about a sensitive topic. Then when I blurt out a question I-"

She stopped me by placing her finger over my mouth, leaning over to me.

"Don't you ever think you're making me upset. I actually love it when you ask me questions about my life. It shows that you care about me. I get sad over the topic not because of you, but because of the situations that happened. I'd never be upset because you ask me a question about it. So please, don't cry. I hate seeing you sad." She said in a comforting tone, wiping my tears away.

"Jill...I don't know how I have someone like you in my life. But are you sure it doesn't bother you in the slightest when I question you?" I spoke, feeling the lump in my throat form even more.

"Did you not just hear what I just said Claire? It shows you care. Remember that. I'm stronger today because of you." She took my hand this time, and put it against her heart.

I looked at her, feeling my heart pounding in my chest for the unknown reason. I felt so many emotions when I was with Jill. I always wanted to spend every minute with her because she was so important to me. We held each others gazes, as I saw her cheeks flush a bright red, although she kept looking straight at me.

"Damn it..." She whispered, looking away from me.

"What is it?" I asked her, puzzled.

"N-Nevermind. It's okay. I'm gonna go set some blankets outside." She said, in a lower tone than usual, as she grabbed three blankets, then walked out of the tent.

Her expression was emotionless, but looked painful. Why did she look away from me? I wish she hadn't. But what am I saying? I shook my head of all the thoughts, and headed back outside, seeing it had got much darker than when we got up here. The sky was now dark, as I saw stars slowly peeking behind the clouds, which would eventually fade away. I felt a little chilly, as I grabbed a sweater near my bag. Then I remembered about the food.

"Jill? Are we going to have a campfire to roast marshmallows? I remembered we packed some sandwiches and marshmallows." I asked her, as I saw her sitting on the blanket, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, there's some wood down over there on the grass. I brought some lighters too. They're in the front pocket of my backpack. Could you go collect the wood please?" She ordered, not turning around to speak to me.

"Oh, alright. I'll be back in a second." I said, walking over to the field just across from the mountain.

I ran down the little path, collecting a couple pieces of wood in my arms. It wasn't too heavy, but I could manage the weight on my own. I gathered 7 pieces of wood in my arms, surprisingly, they all fit in my arms. I began to walk slowly up the path, and walked up to the very middle of the mountain, dropping the wood out of my arms, and throwing them onto the ground. I saw Jill with the lighters in her hand, laughing at me.

"Heavy huh? I told you that you were pretty weak!" She giggled, patting me on the back.

"They weren't that heavy okay? Besides, you could of helped me instead of dozing off looking at the sky." I told her off.

"I thought you could do it by yourself since you're pretty independent." She joked.

"I'm not that independent! Because I need you at most times." I admitted, looking down at the wood.

She smiled, and patted the top of my head.

"Let's get this fire started shall we?" She said, pulling out a lighter, and running it over the top to light it.

The fire appeared upon the lighter, turning it black at the tip. She threw it into the pile of wood, as a fire came roaring out. Sparks began to fly, as the crackle of the fire surrounded us. The smell began to fill the air as well, but it smelled like the average campfire you would have in your backyard. She pulled out the marshmallows from her backpack beside her, and reached for two sticks on the mountain. She passed one to me, as I began to feel excited as it would be the first time I would be roasting a marshmallow. She passed me two marshmallows as well.

"You stick them onto it, and rest it over the fire until they turn a golden brown. Then you eat them! Not hard." Jill said smiling at me, and began to roast hers.

I nervously stuck the marshmallows onto the stick, and held it above the fire, watching the marshmallows begin to turn golden. I smiled to myself, and removed it from the fire. I blew on them to cool them down, feeling the heat from the marshmallows tingle on my lips. I took a little bite, as the taste of it surrounded my taste buds. I spit it out in disgust, rubbing my tongue.

"Ew! That is disgusting! It's all gooey and the skin was falling off!" I shouted.

"That's the point of roasted marshmallows! I guess they aren't for everyone. I thought you would like them!" Jill began laughing at me, as I continued to rub my tongue.

I tried to get the taste out of my mouth by eating a regular marshmallow. It worked somewhat, but I could still taste it in my mouth. Suddenly, I looked up at the sky, as it revealed millions of bright stars in the sky, as the full moon hid behind them. My mouth opened, as I raced over to the blanket, and sat down, gazing up at the sky in awe. I felt Jill come sit beside me, closer than usual. But it didn't bother me.

"Wow. It's so beautiful!" I said to her.

"I know. It surprises me how many stars are in this sky just on this night."

"I wonder if the moon is shining this bright just for us." I said shyly.

"Claire."

"Yes?" I answered her.

"You would always be my friend no matter what I say right? Even if it's the most ridiculous thing you would ever hear." Her gaze was strong, as her face was still.

"Of course. You can trust me when I say that Jill." I told her.

She was hesitant, as she looked away for a brief moment, I leaned in to see her expression, as she turned to face me, with a pink face.

"Gosh...I feel like such an idiot...I can't say it. It's the perfect time to say it but I can't." She said looking down, until I grabbed her hand.

"Please tell me. I'll always listen." I said calmly.

"I...I think I've fallen in love with you Claire." She blurted out.

My eyes widened, as I felt my pulse speed up. I began to feel hot as I heard her say this.

Jill...was in love with me?


	11. Chapter 11

It was quiet for a long moment, as my hand was still holding onto hers. I looked back at her, and saw her looking away from me. I didn't know what to say. But it didn't make me feel uncomfortable. It made me happy. But hearing her say that, I then realized why I was having all these emotions. I smiled big, as she turned to me in shock.

"Why are you smiling? It's nothing to be happy about." She said in a strong tone, which was quite scary to hear through her own voice.

"Because. It makes me happy to know how you feel about me." I told her.

"But...You're not shying away from this? Anyone I know would just avoid me and act strange." Jill said calmly, still looking at me.

"I would never do that to you Jill! You've made me into a better person, I can be more open, and express how I feel without worrying people. I can't explain why, but I'm happy right now. But I'm still confused." I admitted to her, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

She placed her hand on my cheek, rubbing her thumb against it. She tilted her head smiling at me, as I could feel how much courage she must of had to tell me this.

"Why are you confused Claire? Tell me." She said, moving closer to me.

"I just...Can't explain my feelings. I want to love you, and I'm not holding back but...I've never had feelings for a girl before. Not that it's a bad thing, it's a beautiful thing. But I never expected it to end up like this." I spoke, feeling my voice shake up.

"Wait...Are you saying you love me?" Jill's face grew surprised, as her gaze grew stronger.

"I-I don't know. I guess in a way I am, but I don't know what feelings are yet. It's just stressing me out I can't handle all these emotions." I said sharply, holding my head in confusion.

Why couldn't I just know for once and all how I feel? It wasn't that hard, but for me it was like making a life or death situation. I had never liked anyone before, and never knew what love was.

I felt Jill's gaze on me drop, as she looked back up at the sky. I turned back to her in confusion, as her face had grew serious.

"Claire...Just forget I said anything."

My heart sank into my stomach as I heard her say this, until I decided to argue back, standing up on my feet. My knuckles were clenched in anger, as I felt as if I was boiling hot. How could she expect me to forget what she just said?

"No! I-I can't! You say something like that and it makes me remember it even more! I don't want to forget this moment because it meant a lot to me. You can't just go off and say something like that, then pretend nothing happened!" I felt my eyes grow hot, trying to hold back my tears.

"Claire..." Jill spoke in a soft tone.

"So please...don't say that anymore. What happened, happened, and we can't control it. Do you know how much that-"

I was interrupted by Jill pulling me down, embracing me in her lap. I could feel her heartbeat through her chest, as I gripped onto her back, letting out all my emotions. My grip on her tightened, as she did the same. I could hear her sniffling, as I knew we were both crying.

"Damn it...this was suppose to be a happy night." Jill said, laughing through her tears.

"But it was. I couldn't of asked for more." I muffled into her chest.

"Do you know why I fell for you Claire?" She asked, as if expecting me to know.

"Honestly, no. Tell me. I wanna hear this." I said to her.

She released from our embrace, although I was sitting on her lap, as her arm was wrapped around my waist, as I wrapped my arm around her neck.

"As much as you cry, and as much you may be a lazy worker at times, you made me smile. I loved how you could be so positive at times, and always look at the good side of things. I would always look forward to seeing your face first thing in the morning. You're just so damn adorable too. There were times I told myself not to fall for you, but I couldn't help it. I loved how bubbly you were, and how you could always find a way to make my day, even if I didn't want to feel happy. I love you. I know that may sound so cheesy, but I love you Claire. I want to make you mine, but I don't want to confuse you anymore."

I felt even more emotional at her words, as I hugged her again, pulling her down onto the blanket, still hugging her. We held each other under the stars, as I felt my worries slip away, as long as I had Jill by my side. I ran my fingers through her hair, as she did the same. My eyes grew heavy, but I didn't want to fall asleep just yet.

"Jill?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I think I've seen enough stars for tonight. Can we go back into the tent?" I said, nudging her shoulder.

She stood up instantly, pulling me up with her hand. We interlocked our fingers, and walked back to the tent, as I gave the sky one last look before they disappeared as I entered the tent.

"That was the most beautiful view I've seen!" I said, throwing myself on top of my sleeping bag.

"Hm, I think you're more beautiful." Jill whispered into my ear, pulling me into her arms once again. She always knew how to do it when I was least expecting it.

She pulled my head into her chest, as I felt her heartbeat pounding. She must of been a little nervous still from what she had said. I was still speechless, and the confusion of feelings was still weighing me down.

"I feel like I don't want this night to end." Jill said calmly, while stroking my hair.

"Me either. We'll do this again during the fireworks next month right?" I asked.

"I was thinking the same thing."

It was silent for a moment, as I felt more tired than before. I looked up to see if Jill was still awake, as her eyes were half open, smiling at me.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

I nodded my head, willing to listen to whatever she had to ask me. Although I felt nervous.

She was about to speak, until she hesitated, and began laughing shaking her head.

"What is it? You mentioned it, so you have to say it!" I said sitting up on her lap.

"I want to kiss you. Can I? I want to be your first kiss. I hope there isn't anyone else you'd want to save it for." Her face went still, cradling my head in her hands.

I felt my heart speed up, and the pink rising in my cheeks. I didn't know what to say. I felt a smile grow on my face, as I placed my hands on hers.

"You don't need to ask. When I think about it, I think you're the only one I'd let kiss me. But the strange thing is, I don't mind." I said nervously, feeling more shy.

I looked up at her, as I felt her breath come closer, hitting against my face, her lips inches away from mine. I watched her eyes begin to close, as I immediately closed mine.

My eyes remained closed, although I didn't feel her lips on mine. I opened my eyes to see what was happening, as she shook her head, and moved her face away from mine.

"No. Not yet. I want to wait until you're completely sure of your feelings for me. For now, let's just pretend we're best friends again, okay?" She said, throwing herself down on the sleeping bag, still looking at me.

"That might be a hard thing to request, but I'll do it for you Jill." I said, laying down next to her.

Why did it bug me so much that she didn't kiss me? I must have feelings for her. I decided to sleep to get this off my mind, feeling my body relax, and before I knew it, I was in a deep sleep.

I felt the sun shining through my closed eyes, as I slowly opened them. I looked to see Jill holding me in her arms, as my head was resting against her neck. We fell asleep together. I smiled as I watched her sleeping face, feeling her breath hit against my face. We were so close. Then I remembered what had happened last night. Jill told me she loved me. I smiled as I remembered her words, but then felt butterflies in my stomach. I woke up this morning knowing how I felt. I loved Jill too. I knew there would be no one else but her.

I continued to watch her sleep, as she released a moan, as she turned onto her other side. I felt as if I had rejected her last night from her confession. All I ever thought of us was being close friends, but then it started to feel different. I still can't even explain it. I reached my hand over to comb her hair with my fingers, until I reached a tag, and pulled on her hair.

She jumped instantly, and turned around to face me. I quickly pulled my hand away.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I was just touching your hair." I quickly said, apologizing over and over.

"You realize you woke me up right? You're not getting away with that so easily." She spoke, in her morning voice I loved hearing.

"Wha-?" I began to say, until she pulled me near her.

She held me in her arms for a short second, until I looked up at her face which seemed as if she remembered something, and pulled away instantly.

"W-We're best friends Claire. Remember?" Jill said blushing, turning away from me.

"O-Of course we are. But...please don't pretend what happened last night was non existent. It was one of the best nights I've had with you, and anyone for that matter." I felt myself blush as well, as I said these words.

"You really think I would forget a night like that? People usually are more serious at night than they are during the day. I guess that explains why I feel so different in the mornings." Jill spoke.

"So you're saying that last night was just a fluke? That I was lucky enough to even hear you say those words?" I felt somewhat hurt, as I asked her this.

"You know it's nothing like that! Don't go putting words in my mouth. We were just fine a couple seconds ago, why did you have to start this?" Her tone was sharp, and her face looked aggravated.

"You're the one who said we're just friends! It feels like you're letting everything go back to the way it was, and that you don't want to be with me anymore! T-This morning I realized something...I do have feelings for you. I don't care if you're not the type of person my family expected me to date, I don't care that I don't have a boyfriend, all that matters is that I have you!" I said, raising my tone of voice, not letting the tears ruin this moment.

She was silent for a moment, as if I thought I saw a smile grow on her face. But I was wrong. She stood up, and turned her back towards me, as if what I had just said had just went through one ear and out the other.

"Enough, Claire. I appreciate everything you just said, I really do. It doesn't change my feelings for you. But...please just this once just pretend last night was just us being dramatic. Alright? Now come on, let's pack up our stuff and go back." Jill said harshly, and began packing her stuff, along with some of mine.

What was with her sudden mood change? She was being so comfortable with me this morning, and especially last night. I just wanted to rewind time and go back to that moment she told me she loved me. I didn't want to listen to her orders of pretending we were just being dramatic, and not knowing what we were saying. I felt so much anger and sadness build up inside of me. I threw everything inside of my backpack, as Jill took down the tent, completely ignoring me. I knew she would regret this.

Tonight, she would end up apologizing, then it would be the same thing in the morning. I always found it was easier for us to talk honestly at night than in the mornings. I didn't want it to be like that. I wanted to have a serious conversation with her at any point of the day. I glanced over at her as she put the tent in the bag, along with the sleeping bags. The entire mountain was now empty, except for some sticks, and the fire that we had sat around last night. I threw my backpack around my shoulder, and followed behind Jill, and for the first time ever, we didn't say a single word to each other.


End file.
